2nd Taj Academy International Chess Championship (Classic Under-1800)-2026
9 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 22 Apr 2026 to 26 Apr 2026 in Erbil, Iraq. 2 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1143, and top seed was Mohammed Salim Ibrahim (🇮🇶 IRQ, 1795).
Mohammed Salim Ibrahim (🇮🇶 IRQ, 1795) won with 7.0/9, ahead of Mohammed Duhbian Fahad (6.0) and Essa Ali Nozhanad (5.5). Ibrahim won solo starting round 2.
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How it unfolded
Top 9 · 9 roundsMohammed Salim Ibrahim led from R2 onwards, the runner-up race stayed tight.
Mohammed Salim Ibrahim never relinquished the lead after R2; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.
Mohammed Salim Ibrahim opens a +1.5-point gap over the chasing pack (closest: Mohammed Duhbian Fahad); the title is out of reach before R9.
Mohammed Salim Ibrahim drew with Mohammed Duhbian Fahad (White).
Cross-table
| # | Player | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Pts | SB | Bh | Δ Elo | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇶Ibrahim, Mohammed Salim | 1795 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.0 | 22.25 | 28.0 | +17.0 | 1938 |
| 2 | 🇮🇶Fahad, Mohammed Duhbian | 1739 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0 | 18.25 | 29.0 | +6.2 | 1781 |
| 3 | 🇮🇶Nozhanad, Essa Ali | 1747 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | 16.25 | 29.5 | -10.0 | 1708 |
| 4 | 🇮🇶Nvar, Sardar Othman | 1636 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | 14.50 | 29.5 | +12.6 | 1730 |
| 5 | 🇮🇶Al-Turaihi, Dhari Satea Saeed | 1791 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | 10.25 | 30.5 | -32.0 | 1550 |
| 6 | 🇮🇶Lania, Salah Abdullah | 1578 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | — | 1 | 1 | 3.5 | 9.00 | 31.5 | +1.2 | 1593 |
| 9 | 🇮🇶Sahand, Kamaran Omar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | * | 1 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 33.0 | 0.0 | 942 |
| 7 | 🇮🇶Raman Hussein Ali Al-Ali | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 34.0 | 0.0 | 914 |
| 8 | 🇹🇷Alobaidi, Mohammed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 0.0 | 0.00 | 35.0 | 0.0 | 914 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Ibrahim, Mohammed SalimIRQ+17.07.0 pts · #1
- 2Nvar, Sardar OthmanIRQ+12.65.5 pts · #4
- 3Fahad, Mohammed DuhbianIRQ+6.26.0 pts · #2
- 1Al-Turaihi, Dhari Satea SaeedIRQ-32.04.5 pts · #5
- 2Nozhanad, Essa AliIRQ-10.05.5 pts · #3
- 3Sahand, Kamaran OmarIRQ0.02.0 pts · #9